Islam Rediscovered
11. Non-Violence and Islam
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some other party so that the believers have to
fight in self-defence. Initiating hostility is not
permitted for Muslims. The Qur’an says: “They
were the first to attack you.” (9:13)
Furthermore, even in the case of the offensive
being launched by an opposing group, the
believers are not supposed to retaliate
immediately. Rather in the beginning all efforts
are to be made to avert war, and only when
avoidance has become impossible, is battle to be
resorted to inevitably in defence.
3. According to the Qur’an, there was one form of
war which was time-bound strictly in relation to
its purpose. This was to put an end to
fitna
.
‘Fight against them until
fitna
is no more.’ (2:193)
In this verse
fitna
signifies that coercive system
which had reached the extremes of religious
persecution. In ancient times this coercive
political system prevailed all over the world.
This absolutism had closed all the doors of
progress, both spiritual and material. At that
time God commanded the believers to break this
coercive system in order to usher in freedom, so
